Catering Associate; Pt

Overview

The Catering Associate at Riverside Healthcare is responsible for ensuring exceptional patient meal service across assigned units. This role involves coordinating patient menu selections, assembling and delivering trays, addressing special dietary needs, and handling in-between meal requests. The Catering Associate serves as a key liaison between the Food & Nutrition Services department and nursing staff to ensure patients dietary requirements are met accurately and in a timely manner, especially for those on physician-ordered modified diets.

The role also requires adherence to infection control and sanitation standards, ensuring patient satisfaction, and contributing to the overall quality of care. Demonstrates flexibility with assignments within professional scope/duties/licensure.

• Coordinate patient meal service, including menu selection, tray assembly, delivery, and pick-up on assigned units.
• Address and communicate patient food issues, concerns, and requests to Food & Nutrition Services.
• Collaborate with nursing staff to ensure compliance with patients' nutritional needs and unit food service requirements.
• Respond to changes and special requests to maintain efficient timing and accuracy of meal services.
• Understand and accommodate dietary restrictions based on physician-prescribed diets to ensure food preferences align with medical guidelines.
• Ensure patient satisfaction, reflected in internal and external surveys, by offering alternatives within dietary limitations.
• Maintain up-to-date patient meal information on assigned units, ensuring accuracy for all meal services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of infection control and sanitation practices, including food and refrigeration temperatures, hand washing, glove use, and proper food dating.
• Provide quality service in accordance with cultural, ethnic, and religious food preferences.

• Assist with routine cleaning tasks as assigned, ensuring compliance with job flow standards.
• Perform patient care duties as required, aligning with job flow standards.
• Participate in training and staff meetings to stay updated on best practices and departmental updates.

• Knowledge of dietary restrictions, infection control, and sanitation best practices.

• On-the-job training provided.
• Ability to read, write, and speak English; additional language skills may be beneficial.
• Ability to pass a written test on modified diets provided by clinical staff.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.

Riverside Healthcare offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and nationally rated employee well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more so your journey at and away from work is remarkable. Our Total Rewards package includes:

• Base compensation within the positions pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
• Premium pay such as shift differential, on-call
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

• Paid Leave Hours accrued as you work

Exposure to:

• Chemicals:
  Refer to MSDS Sheets
• Video Display Terminals:
  Extreme
• Blood and Body Fluids:
  Minimal potential due to very restricted direct patient contact.
• TB or Airborne Pathogens:
  Minimal potential due to very restricted direct patient contact.